


Ties That Bind

by linna_anor



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Durin Family, Fluff, Gen, Hair Braiding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-04
Updated: 2013-06-04
Packaged: 2017-12-13 22:29:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/829597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/linna_anor/pseuds/linna_anor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Originally written for H-K.</p><p>A paraphrasing of the prompt:</p><p>Young Fili and Kili learn to braid. Eventually, they get the hang of it. What they don't get however, is what their uncle means when he says that braids can tie people together. Thorin is thinking of the relationships they symbolize. The boys take it a bit more literally.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ties That Bind

"Hi, Uncle Thorin!"  
"What happened to your hair?"  
"What's this metal thingy for?"

"No--Kili, please, put that down--Fili--come back here, you little rascals!" 

No sooner had Dís arranged the clasps on the table in front of her in preparation to re-braid her brother's hair than her sons, now 12 and 7, had tumbled into the room, full of questions, unable to keep their curious hands still. Now the two of them rushed back out in possession of two of their uncle's braid clasps, breathless giggles echoing behind them.

"I'll go after them," Thorin sighed. It only took him a few steps to catch up to his nephews. He reached out and scooped up two squirming bundles, one gold and the other nearly black. "I've... got you!" he growled as Fili and Kili squealed happily, clearly enjoying whatever game they thought this was. "Come along, you two." He carried them back to where Dís was waiting. "You clearly need something with which to occupy yourselves, and your mother and I have been meaning to teach you something for a few months now."

"Aw, more lessons?" Kili protested. Fili wrinkled his nose. 

"Yes, boys, more lessons," replied Dís. "But this is one I think you'll enjoy. Braiding is one of our people's most important traditions, and your hair has finally grown long enough to start practicing. Now watch what I do with your uncle's hair, and then you can try braiding each other's."

Thorin set his nephews down and returned to the chair. They watched, mesmerized, as their mother separated a chunk of their uncle's thick black hair into three strands and crossed them one over another into a plait.

"Do you see how it's done?" she asked. "Left over the center; that becomes the new center. Now right over center, left over new center, right over new center... where did that clasp--right. Fili, Kili?" They surrendered the clips with sheepish grins. "And that's that!" Dís finished, snapping the clasp around the end of the braid. She moved on to do three more with her sons still diligently observing, moving their hands along with hers and whispering "Right over left--no, center, then left over center..."

When all was finished, Thorin looked down at the boys. "Are you ready to try it yourselves?"

"Yes, yes, please!" they chorused.

"Very well then." He smiled at his nephews' enthusiasm. "You can both work at the same time. Sit across from each other. No, closer, you have to be able to reach each other's hair. Now, just remember what your mother showed you. We'll help you if you have trouble." Thorin knelt down beside Fili while Dís sat next to Kili.

"Right over left, left over right... Mama, it's not working," Kili complained.

Dís laughed gently. "You forgot about the center, my dear. Pick it up again; let me guide your hands."

Meanwhile, Thorin watched his older nephew work silently, mouth puckered in concentration. Fili looked up after a momet. "There! It's done," he declared. "What do you think, Uncle?" Thorin moved in closer to inspect his work.

"Well, it's certainly a... a valiant first attempt." One strand was twice as big as the other two, and several wisps of hair were escaping the plait, but Fili _had_ more or less managed to replicate the weaving style.

The family stayed like that for hours, Fili and Kili slowly mastering the task of braiding, until the sun sank low in the sky and Kili's stomach gave a tremendous rumble.

Everyone laughed. "My goodness, where has the time gone? I must prepare supper!" Dís exclaimed, and she hurried out of the room. Fili and Kili made to follow her, but Thorin held them back.

"One moment, boys. The lesson isn't over quite yet." He paused to collect his thoughts. "Your mother told you that braiding is one of our most important traditions, but she did not tell you what these braids mean. Now, just as the strands of a plait weave in and out of the others, so too are our people connected to each other. All Dwarves wear braids when they are old enough; all of us, at the most basic level, have something in common.  
"Now, different styles represent different relationships: brothers, cousins, lovers... you will learn them all in time. What is important," he said, reaching out to tug gently on the nearly-neat plaits that the boys had put in each other's hair, "is that you understand that braids are the ties that bind our people together."

Fili and Kili nodded solemnly at him.

"That is all. You may go."

The brothers walked down the hall to their room. "I wonder why Mama and Uncle Thorin aren't tied together?" asked Kili suddenly.

"You're right, Ki. Uncle did say that brothers and sisters should be connected by braids," Fili replied. At least, he _thought_ that was what Thorin had said. His attention had been divided between what his uncle was saying and thoughts of what his mother was preparing for supper.

"Wanna try it?" Kili grinned mischievously.

"Let's," Fili decided. "We have a half hour or so before supper, anyway."

***

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, Fi." 

The two of them were sitting on Fili's bed. The braids were beautiful; Kili was fascinated by the swirls of gold and brown in between him and his brother. The only problem was, he had no idea as to how they were going to get up. Every time one of them moved, he ended up tugging on the other's hair rather painfully.

"Yes, I think I know now why Uncle and Mother don't do this," Fili muttered.  
"Hold on, let me see what I can do about it." He started combing through the mass of hair between them.

"Fili, Kili! Supper!" Dís called.

Fili froze. "Uh-oh," he said in a low tone.

"C'mon, Fi, hurry up!" Kili urged. "I'll help." The two attacked the braids more furiously, occasionally yelping when a strand was pulled too forcefully, oblivious to the approaching footsteps.

"Boys? What's going on in here?" Dís pushed the door open.

"Um, nothing?" Fili offered, smiling up at his mother.

"My son, this is more than 'nothing,'" she scolded. "Why, look at the two of you!" Dís gestured to their knotted mess of hair: their attempts at undoing the braids had only made the situation worse. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Uncle Thorin said that braids tie people together," Kili piped up. His face fell when he saw his mother's scowl. "I don't think he meant it like that, though," he mumbled.

"No, I certainly didn't," remarked Thorin, who had come to investigate the delay. Then to everyone's surprise, he began to chuckle.

"Brother!" Dís swatted him on the shoulder. "This isn't funny!" That just made Thorin laugh harder. She glared at him until the guffaws subsided.

"My apologies, sister," he gasped, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes. "Only..." his eyes glinted playfully. "I clearly remember the day when you and I did the exact same thing! Oh, the look on Father's face..."

Dís tried and failed to look annoyed with him. "Fine, well, looking back, I suppose it was rather amusing," she conceded. "But enough with this reminiscing! They can't go to supper like this. Go find a comb, brother, unless you want to wait until midnight to eat!"


End file.
